Scientific Discoveries Using Kites – Part 2

Covering most of the major scientific discoveries in the first part, there are still some kito-vations that were not covered in it. To do so, we bring the rest of them to you. Kites have been an integral part of the scientific discoveries and whether it is the military expeditions or the everyday science projects, kites have been used rather extensively.

Earlier, we had discussed how Benjamin Franklin and the Wright Brothers used kites to make scientific discoveries and invent the idea of flying. Then there are some militaries from ancient times that used the kites as a way of devising strategies and calculating distances. We have compiled a list of some more scientific discoveries that made use of the kites.

Bridge Construction using Kites

One of the most famous accounts that used the kites to construct a bridge was that of Homan Walsh, a 10 year old kid who was awarded 10 dollars to help build a bridge in the city now known as Niagara Falls. The little boy attempted to get the first line across the gorge which was proving to be a very difficult task.

During the first attempt, he nearly succeeded but was met with failure when ice shards frayed the line when he was reeling it back. However, his second attempt was quite successful. He had made the necessary repairs to the kite and flew it off again until the line was secured on the other side.

After this, heavier lines were progressively secured on the other side until finally a steel cable connected the distant cliffs. The bridge was then constructed over this steel cable and the prize money that Homan got was quite a big amount in 1847.

Another famous account of using a kite as an instrument to draw the first line was that of Leonardo da Vinci. While his theories were not put to test, he had successfully summarised that the kties could be used during bridge construction. There were many other sketches that were a product of the genius mind of Leonardo da Vinci.

These sketches form the basics of many of the scientific discoveries that we see today. Due to reasons of not being funded and the strict restrictions on science during that era, most of the sketches were left untested.

Carrying Men on Kites

Kites are the heavier-than-air equipment that can fly. The concept of carrying man into the air was first sketched by Leonardo da Vinci but was successfully carried out by the Wright Brothers in 1903. Another inventor who made the invention of a man-carrying kite during the 20th century was Alexander Graham Bell. While he is more popularly known for the invention of the telephone, his invention of the tetrahedral kite is not amiss.

The tetrahedron is, in theory, the strongest and most rigid symmetrical system that can possibly exist in nature. There was a basic structure that Alexander Graham Bell used for making a tetrahedral kite. You can do so too at home if you just cover any two sides of a tetrahedron with fabric.

However, this would be the structure on the cellular level. Connecting more than a few tetrahedrons together would give you a proper tetrahedral kite.

Thousands of interlocked tetrahedron cells were used to make the man-carrying tetrahedral kite that Alexander Graham Bell made in his laboratory.

This gave quite a lot of employment to the workers in the nearby town. While he was a scientist looking to invent something before anyone else, he was also concerned with the safety of his test subjects.

The first attempt to carry out the testing was made over the waters of Baddeck Bay. The structure made out of 3,393 cells was piloted by a man who knew how to swim, thereby reducing the possibility of fatality during the scientific experiment.

Other applications:

Kites have many more applications that are diverse in nature. Kites are used for decorative purposes in many households across the world.

Kite flying is popular around the world. It is used in many festivities and celebrations. Many countries and cities hold competitions of kite making as well as kite flying.

Kites also find a place in aerial photography. With proper tracking and controlled system, they are used for aerial photography, much like advanced gliders and UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) with cameras.

Kites are the most primitive aerial vehicles, and make good examples in teaching aerodynamics concepts. Many teachers use kites to teach mathematics as well.

Kites have been known to be used as carriers. They help in transportation. Large size kites such as box kites are perfect for this

Large powerful kites can also be found in the industries. Such kites are used for lifting broken tree trunks, or for other industrial purposes such as generating energy.

Kites are also used to carry antennas so as to receive radio signals or act as receptive stations.

Kites are also used in fishing, as sport fishing. Some examples for this are underwater kites, kiting baits, soil kites, net-spreading kites, etc.

Many companies buy large kites so as to feature or advertise their products. These kites are then flown over the city so as to spread awareness and grab people’s attention towards their product.

Kites are used in extreme sports such as kite-boarding, kite-surfing, snow kiting, etc., that are now gaining immense popularity.

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These are just some of the scientific discoveries and inventions that were made by the use of kites. In theory, anything that is related to aviation can be tested out by some or the other form of a kite. It is cost-effective and easy to conduct.

All vehicles and instruments that are capable of taking flight today are some or the other form of a kite and when you consider it, the strings have detached and the distances have increased but the essentials remain the same.

You can learn more about kites by joining our Facebook group and following us on the various social media platforms like Instagram, etc where we keep you updated with the latest developments on kites.